800 metres Freestyle, Men

The 800 metre freestyle, long a staple at the World Championships, had last been contested at the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, when it was raced over 880 yards. With the addition of the women’s 1,500 metre freestyle to the 2020 Olympic Program, FINA also lobbied to equalize the program and add the men’s 800, which was approved.

The favorite was the Italian distance specialist Gregorio Paltrinieri, who had won this event at the 2019 World Championships, and was the World 1,500 metre champion in 2015 and 2017. Also formidable was Ukraine’s Mykhailo Romanchuk. Romanchuk led the qualifiers with 7:41.28 just head of German Florian Wellbrock, who recorded 7:41.77, but the biggest shock was that Paltrinieri barely qualified, finishing eighth in 7:47.63, obviously resting for the final, but it almost cost him.

Paltrinieri made no such mistake in the final two days later, taking the lead on the first lap and holding it through 700 metres, followed by Wellbrock and Romanchuk for most of the race, although Wellbrock took the lead at 750 metres. American Robert Finke lingered back in fifth for most of the race, but at 750 metres he had moved into fourth and he looked to have a shot at a medal.

It was more than that. Finke shattered the field over the final 50, splitting 26.39, a last lap that was over 1½ seconds faster than the next fastest split (Australian Jack McLoughlin’s 28.00 back in fifth), and it brought Finke all the way to the top of the podium and a completely surprising gold medal. Paltrinieri held on for silver while Romanchuk took bronze.

American men’s distance swimming had been in the doldrums, as no USA male had won a gold medal in the 1,500 metres since Mike O’Brien in 1984. To prove that his 800 gold was no fluke, Finke would come back on the last day of swimming at the Tokyo Olympics and add a second gold in the 1,500 metre freestyle.